Unexpected
by ix3youlotss
Summary: HGDM Hermione stumbles across a very distraught Draco on the train ride to school. She becomes very persistant in discovering what troubles the boy and he reluctantly lets her in, finding they've got much more to say to each other than insults.
1. The Train

Author's Notes: AU -- The only thing that's different is there will be no hunt for the Horcrux's. Dumbledore's still dead, but Voldemort has to die some other way. It will be explained in the story.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The two of you absolutely disgust me." Hermione Granger said to a chocolate covered Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter. "You eat as if you've never seen food before in your life when you know in a mere three hours you'll be pigging out in the Great Hall all over again. Could you please just try and pretend you're civilized?" Hermione said in a huff.

"Nope, that's reserved for you Mrs. Head Girl." Harry retorted munching happily on a chocolate frog.

The trio was on the Hogwarts Express headed towards their 7th and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where they'd be sure to encounter another extremely eventful year, but for now, Hermione needed to get away from boys.

"Whatever, I'm going to go find Ginny and Luna or something." And with that Hermione exited the compartment. She was walking through the empty hall looking into the compartments for the girls when she heard a sound emitting from the very back of the train, as she came a little closer it sounded as if someone was crying. In fact, she was almost positive of it. She crept towards the door and listened to see if she could tell who it was, thinking it may be a first year knowing very well what it was like to be made fun of. But as it turns out it sounded like a much older male probably a sixth or seventh year. Hermione didn't know what to do, should she confront them or just walk away? She didn't have to decide seeing as the muffled sobs subsided and the door was pushed open to reveal something Hermione thought she'd never see. Draco Malfoy was wiping a trail of tears off his cheeks. The initial look of surprise on his face quickly turned to anger.\

"What are you doing here? Where you spying on me?" Draco spat at her.

"No I was just walking and was concerned..." Hermione muttered rather feebly unsure of what to say. "I heard crying, I thought perhaps I could cheer whoever it was up. Ma-Mal-Draco, why where you crying?" Hermione asked wondering what had caused her to call him by his proper name.

"Damn it Granger why don't you just mind your own business for once?" Draco pushed past her leaving her to her thoughts. "And don't you dare tell anyone about this either!" He shouted over his shoulder.

"I wouldn't..." Hermione whispered before shrinking down into a seat to think. Why in the world would Draco Malfoy, the spoiled and filthily rich only child of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy be all alone crying. And then she thought about it and felt like an idiot, Lucius. Malfoy's father had been sentenced to life in prison over the summer. Of course Malfoy would be upset.

Hermione stayed by herself for a little while longer, returning to Ron and Harry only when it was time to get dressed and exit the train. She was considerably more somber than before and the boys both noticed.

"What's wrong with you Hermione?" Harry asked, his voice full of concern.

"Oh nothing, just thinking, it's our last year, rather upsetting thought isn't it?" Hermione said in a fake cheerful voice. This seemed to be a good enough excuse for both Harry and Ron so the trio set out on the walk towards the thestral drawn carriages.

Once inside the Great Hall the three found seats at the Gryfindor table and where soon joined by Ginny who had just said goodbye to Luna.

"Hermione! It's good to be back isn't it?" Ginny squealed and hugged her friend.

"Good grief Ginny, you just saw her twenty minutes ago on the train." Ron said and Ginny's arms barely missed his face.

"What are you talking about Ron?" Ginny inquired.

Ron glanced at Hermione rather confused and then mumbled an incoherant "nothing."

He didn't have time to think about it as the sorting had now ended and piles of food where appearing out of nowhere. The group happily ate away at all the start of term goodies and Ron and Harry dominated the conversation, placing bets on who would be the new Quidditch captain. Ron seemed firm in his belief that Harry would be getting a letter any day now telling him when he was allowed to hold tryouts but Harry seemed to think McGonagall wouldn't want to give him such a responsibility, after all Dumbledore never had. It was only when the food disappeared that they all looked up to the staff table. It looked so small and isolated without the grand old wizard in the middle. Dumbledore's chair remained unoccupied, McGonagall remained to the left of the center chair.

"Welcome students, welcome to Hogwarts. As you all know, we suffered many losses at the end of term last year, but I would like to think that they will not effect our ability to learn and move about at a regular pace. As you all know we are in dark troubled times and a few extra precautions have been set in place. No student is to be allowed off campus this year, which means there have been no Hogsmeade trips schedualed," from this there was a groan of disappointment, "the dark forrest is to be avoided at all costs, and no student shall be on the grounds after dark. Now I beg of you to please follow these simple requests and we shall all stay much safer. If anyone hears or sees anything suspicious it would be best to report it directly to me at once. Now with that said I'd like to introduce this year's Head Boy and Head Girl so if you would please rise, Ms. Hermione Granger and Mr. Draco Malfoy."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note: **well, you know me. never seem to be able to give you all a very long opening chapter. I've never done a Hermione/Draco fic before, and I'm in all honesty a very big Hermione/Ron shipper. But I thought this might make an interesting little project, and seeing as it's summertime I've got plenty of time to do it, so tell me what you think.


	2. Nightmares

**Author's Notes: **Hey there folks. Thanks tons for the reviews, I can't view them now though, everytime I click "view reviews" it say's story cannot be found, so I can't give you each individual thanks but to all you who did, I appreciate it greatly. Hopefully that promblem will get sorted out soon. (:

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter does not in any way belong to me.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hermione and Draco stood up and nodded curtly at one another.

Harry and Ron sat speechless. Neither seemed to know what to say, _Draco Malfoy? Headboy?_ Harry looked at Hermione and clenched his jaw before standing up and walking to the staff table. Professor McGonagall looked at him questioningly.

"Prefects please lead your houses to the dormitories. Mr. Malfoy and Ms. Granger, my office." McGonagall called to the Hall. Students started shuffling out of the room. "Potter, couldn't this have waited until after the feast?"

"No it couldn't, why the bloody hell is Draco Malfoy headboy? He tried to kill Dumbledore last year, he shouldn't even be at school." Harry said trying to hold his anger.

"Potter, I beg of you to watch your mouth and take your seat, I will explain this to you in due time if you wish."

"Bullshit!" Harry yelled a little to loudly. "Draco Malfoy is nothing more than a lowly cowering Death Eater to scared to do what it is his _Master_ asked him to do. I for one refuse to respect or listen to him, I don't give a _damn_ if he _is_ Head Boy. He's nothing but an attempted murderer in my opinion." Harry slammed his fist on the table at the word damn and glared at McGonagall daring her to challenge him.

"Potter please go wait outside my office." McGonagall said dismissing him curtly.

Harry seemed to take a minute in deciding before heading out of the Great Hall, pushing through a group of third year girls. He headed up to the Headmistress' office, and before he knew it he was infront of the Gargoyle leading up the revolving flight of stairs. It was only then that he realised he didn't know the password.

"Lemon Drops?" Harry asked, knowing fully well it would have changed by then. The Gargoyle didn't move. "Damn it McGonagall, I could always figure out the password when Albus was alive." He said slightly teary eyed.

The Gargoyle jumped to life and bowed Harry up the stairs. Harry blinked and then grinned and muttered to himself. "Albus eh?"

Harry climbed up the stairs and walked down the hall to the Headmaster's old office. He opened the door to see both Malfoy and Hermione in chairs opposite McGonagall. Harry was glad to see the office hadn't changed much.

"Take a seat Mr. Potter.'' McGonagall said and flicked her wand and another wooden chair placed itself on the opposite side of Hermione. Harry slumped into the seat and looked at McGonagall expectantly. "Well, with that Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Granger. Just brush the painting and you can set your own password, now off with you." McGongall said dismisively.

Hermione looked at Harry and gave him a feeble smile before walking out of the room.

"Now, Mr. Potter. I do believe you crave an explanation as to the choice of Head Boy this year?" McGonagall asked. Harry didn't give her an answer, just nodded for her to go on. "Well Mr. Potter, I myself was thinking of another for the position but after Professor Dumbledore's will was found I recieved a letter instructing me otherwise. I will not tell you what this letter said, but I will however tell you it was one of Dumbledore's last wishes. So you'd do well to respect it!" McGonagall seemed to think this was enough of an explanation.

"Now, on the other hand Potter. Dumbledore had no living relatives at the time of his death. And he seemed to hold you in high regard, considered you to be the closest thing to a son he's ever had." Harry felt touched at the news of this. "And he left you a few personal items in his will, along with a good amount of gold and a letter explaining it all." McGonagall handed him a rather large bag filled with many numerous objects and a letter. She then dismissed him back to class.

Harry didn't know what to think, he did not however head towards the Gryfindor common room. He instead turned toward the Room of Requirement.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Well, what do you think the password should be?" Hermione asked of Draco, looking at him expectantly.

"I don't really care Granger. Just pick something, I'll be fine with it." Draco said lazily, not at all happy about spending a year with a Mudblood.

Hermione looked as though she was thinking then laughed and said to the painting "je aime."

"What the hell did you say?" Draco asked looking confused.

"Je aime," Hermione replied. "It means..." Hermione stopped and blushed. "It's french." She said before bounding in through the portrait hole.

Draco rolled his eyes and walked in behind her. The room was slightly impressive he had to admit. Handsome leather chairs and a matching couch sat in front of a warm fire. There where plenty of tables and a desk on which to study. There was a flight of stairs on either side of the room leading up to a balcony that wrapped all the way around the circular room and under the balcony, on the back wall was a library filled with more books than imagenable. Draco laughed to himself when Hermione immediately went to the books. Dumb bookworm.

"Oh my goodness, this library is amazing!" Hermione said in a tone of awe.

Draco walked over to the library and began looking at the books. A few caught his eye but nothing he couldn't find in the school library. The Malfoy library was much grander than this one he thought. Hermione made her selection and snuggled into the chair nearest the fire. Draco watched her curiously. He thought to himself, '_perhaps it won't be too bad.'_

Draco averted his gaze and stared longingly into the fire. It looked warm and inviting, where as the fireplace at Malfoy Manor never turned so much as an ash. Draco yawned lazily and began to nod off to sleep. Soon he was in a dreamlike state, the last flames of the fire crackling feebly. Hermione closed her book and looked at him. She couldn't help but smile, he was almost cute when he was asleep. He didn't have that obnoxious smirk on his face and wasn't insulting anybody, in fact he had a small grin upon his face. Hermione laughed in her head, thinking this was the first time she had seen him smile.

"_He probably doesn't have very much to smile about anymore,"_ she thought to herself, thinking back to the events on the train. She knew it was none of her business but she was oddly curious. She wanted to know how he was feeling, she wanted to help him.

He stirred for a slight moment and the smile disappeared, it was instead replaced with a look of pure concentration, his forehead wrinkled and his eyes seemed set in a very vigorious position. He looked almost violent. Suddenly he jerked and began thrashing his arms around. Hermione gasped, terrified and yelled at him.

"DRACO! Wake up!" she shook him frantically until finally his thrashings subsided and he looked up at her in a cold sweat. "Are you okay?" Hermione asked in a very worried tone. "Can I do anything?"

"I'm fine." Draco muttered and then shook himself and staggered into his bedroom, slamming the door without another word.


	3. The Letter

**Authors Notes**: Thank you all for the reviews, and I'll be sure to chance the 'Je Aime' as soon as I get the chance, in all honesty I really do need a Beta Reader. So if anybody is willing, I'd love to know.

**Disclaimer**: Harry Potter, sexy as he is, doesn't belong to me. I, like many other American girls, can do nothing more but wish.

-----------------------------------------------------

Harry left the stern Headmistress's office and walked about the castle in an unconscious daze. The letter in his left hand felt heavier than the bag of items in his right. Dumbledore had written this, these were Dumbledore's last wishes. Harry couldn't believe that after a summer of thinking and hoping and trying to find a way around the death, he had something to connect him to the late old man. Harry finally decided upon a destination and headed towards the Room of Requirement. He was in no mood for the Gryfindor boys at the moment, he needed a place to think. After trudging up the stairs he paced back and forth in front of the empty wall.

_I need a place to think. I need a place to think. I need a place to think._

Suddenly the handsome wooden door appeared in the gray brick wall as if it had never left. Harry pulled on the handle and slipped inside. He found himself in a brightly lit room much like the Gryfindor common room. There was a warm fire blazing in front of a large plush armchair with a handsome wooden table stretch in front of it. Harry sank into the chair and set the bag on the table then pulled the letter into his eyesight. He stared at it for a moment before finally deciding upon opening it. He slowly and carefully pulled at the wax seal with a scripted "_AD_" emblem pressed into it. He pulled out the bit of parchment and casted the envelope to the side.

Harry,

I suspect by now you've realized that I've parted this world. I hope you understand why it was necessary, and I hope I haven't left you with to many questions. The few I know you have I'll try my best to answer. But first I must explain something to you. Death is not the end Harry, it never has been. It can be looked upon as a terrible thing but without the great journey that is death, there is no eternal peace. I hope you won't spend much time in distress over my death, it was, in my opinion, the greatest way I could help you. It kept you alive did it not? Professor Snape should now be on the run from the Ministry, but I must tell you Harry, and you must not act upon these words or repeat them to a soul, not even Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger. Professor Snape, in his worst moment, was acting upon my orders. I know this may be difficult for you to comprehend, but I asked Severus to kill me if the time came and Mr. Malfoy could not. Yes, now I've struck the subject, you're wondering why I've asked Professor McGonagall to name Mr. Malfoy Head boy aren't you? Mr. Malfoy has a decision to make Harry and he cannot make the right choice on his own. I do not believe him entirely evil as you seem to do. He plays a great role in the scheme of things and it is now time for him to come into his own. I won't reveal anything to you further, but I wish for you to come to peace with both Severus and Draco, they are not the enemy. Now, Harry. There are only a few items in this bag, and they will each have a meaning, that however is for you to find out yourself. Think of this as the last great test. You may find a few words of instruction with some of the items, the rest however, is up to you.

With Great Love,

Albus

Harry read the letter twice. He couldn't believe what Dumbledore was telling him. Trust Snape and Malfoy? That was impossible, he'd have to try though. He would just have to come to terms with things. He wasn't expecting it to happen anytime soon though. Harry slowly reached for the bag and pulled it into his lap. He reached blindly into the bag and then a sharp pain jabbed at his finger and he jerked his arm back out. His finger was bleeding.

"Damn it." He muttered under his breath before reaching back in. This time he was more careful and found what had stabbed him. He ran his hand down the cold metal shaft and finally reached the handle. He pulled it out amazed that is fit in the tiny bag. Then laughed to himself at the stupidity of that thought.

Gryfindor's sword sparkled in the fire light. The red rubies looked as startlingly pretty as the first time Harry had seen them. Gryfindor's name gleamed at him from the hilt. Harry inspected it intensely before setting it down on the table.

"I'm going to have to find a better way to store that thing." He muttered and continued his rummaging.

The next thing Harry's hand made contact with was a small metal object. He pulled it out and found it was a sneak-o-scope. Harry laughed at this. It was a very large, rather fancy sneak-o-scope, there was no doubt in Harry's mind that it was going to be a good thing to carry around with him this year. He placed it upon the table and pulled out a few books. Harry decided that he'd look at them later and dipped his hand back into the bag. His index finger brushed against something stone and he grasped at a basin.

He pulled on the object and set it upon the table. Dumbledore's pensive. Harry was amazed that none of the memories spilt out whilst in the bag, he thought it must be part of the magic of the pensive. Harry looked at the silver mist, keeping himself from plunging face first into it.

_This might would be better suited for another time_, he thought to himself. He'd hand enough for the night though. He'd have classes in the morning after all. He packed up and headed out into the deserted hallways headed for his comfortable bed on the other side of the castle.

-------------------------------------------

Hermione didn't sleep well at all that night. She couldn't help but worry about Draco. It was only natural seeing as he was now her partner. She was beginning to think there was something more than just his father's sentence that was bothering him. She hoped it wasn't her. She knew he hated her because of her blood but she was bound and determined to make him see sence. It was stupid to hate based on blood in her opinion.

When morning came Hermione hadn't slept a wink and it showed. She walked to the Great Hall alone, it looked as if Draco had been long gone. She found a seat near the center of the table and began eating. She was soon joined by Ron.

"Where's Harry?" She asked curiously.

"He says he isn't going to class today. Had a really late night. Heard him come in around 5 this morning." Ron shrugged.

"What?" Hermione looked surprised. "Well he can't just miss the first day of classes."

"He sure as hell can Hermione. He's got a lot on his plate. You're not his mother either, let him do what he thinks is right. Dumbledore's death is really getting to him. You should know that better than most." Ron scolded her.

"Well... hmpft." Hermione finally gave in. "But I am going to go get him at lunchtime if he hasn't shown up."

Ron looked as if he was going to disagree but thought better of it.

"So, how is the Head's room? Malfoy didn't torture you to much did he?" Ron asked in teasing.

"Actually he didn't, it was the strangest thing. He was just kind of nonchalant about everything." Hermione said with a shrug, pouring herself more orange juice. "I guess he just doesn't let much get to him."

McGonagall was now walking around passing out schedules. Hermione looked at hers after McGonagall handed it to her and gave a slight groan.

"What's wrong?" Ron asked glancing at it. "Oh..."

Double Potions with the Slytherins was first thing Monday morning.

"Well. Couldn't expected any less." Hermione said and reached for her bag. "Lets go before we get stuck right in front of Slughorn, he has a tendency to spit when he talks."

So the pair set off together, joking and laughing.


End file.
